Alarm device for clothes and method and use of a label

ABSTRACT

The Invention relates to a device (1) for clothes (2) and others which device after activation is arranged to function as protection against theft of the object in question by cooperation with an alarm indicator gate, a hand scanner or any similar control apparatus. A label (3) which is woven comprises an electric alarm (4) inserted into a woven label (3).

The present invention relates to a device for clothes and other objectswhich device after activation is arranged to function as protectionagainst theft of the object in question by cooperation with an alarmindicator gate, a hand scanner or any similar control apparatus.

Special alarm tabs have been mounted in order to reduce theft of clothesand other objects for sale in shops, onto said objects in the shop andwhich have been functioning according to RF, radio frequency or EM, theelectromechanical principle. The alarm is activated inside the shop orinactivated respectively by being moved past a plate or some otherset-up for this purpose. Special aids are then needed in order to removethe alarms from the objects without damaging the objects. Said knownalarms are easy to recognise and difficult to conceal if so wished.

WO,A1, 94/29503 relates to a label with inserted alarm label while U.S.Pat. No. 5,003,291 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,907 shows electromagneticfibre which may be used for alarm purposes.

However, it is not previously known to have woven alarm labels where thealarm thread is allowed to function as the weft threads or warp threadsof the label in question.

If loose separate alarm threads were woven in or in some other wayattached in a label according to prior art, it would be simple for thosewho wished to remove aforementioned alarm thread and thereby destroy thealarm function of the label.

Thus by instead letting the alarm be woven in as the weft or warp threadof the woven label, it is simple to achieve to produce alarming labelsand where the alarm may not easily be recognised in order to e.g.afterwards be removed by dishonest persons.

However, it is possible to use thread for example according to priorart, for providing desired alarm function but by applying this alarmthread in a special manner as a normal component of the label.

The main object of the present invention is therefore in the first handto solve the problem of being able to easily conceal the alarm in theconsidered objects by simple and well functioning means and not havingto alarm mark afterwards and also not having to remove the alarm in theshop.

These objects are achieved by means of a device in accordance with thepresent invention, which is mainly characterized in that a label whichis woven comprises an electronic alarm inserted into the woven label,wherein the alarm is formed by means of weft threads that are woven intothe warp threads of the label to form an alarm circuit, or that thealarm is formed by means of a number of the warp threads which arearranged to form an alarm circuit.

Another object of the invention is to find a method which makes itpossible to manufacture said alarm labels efficiently and simply. Thisobject is achieved by means of a method which is substantiallycharacterized in that a number of threads are woven into the otherthreads of the formed label so that they form an alarm circuit.

Finally, one object of the invention is to find a well functioning useof the alarm label.

Said final object is achieved by means of an use according to theinvention, which is substantially characterized in that the label issewn or by some other manner attached to the garment or any otherintended object before activation of it, wherein the regular markinglabel of the garment is used as an alarm label.

The invention is described here below as a number of preferredembodiments, wherein is referred to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 shows a garment that has been provided with a woven mark labelincluding alarm,

FIG. 2 shows a procedure step during production of labels,

FIG. 3 shows a weaving apparatus for production of labels, and

FIG. 3A shows alternatives thereof.

The present invention makes it possible to allow inserting ofelectronically working alarms already at the factory in which isproduced garments and other objects which are desired to be providedwith alarm. Thus, a device 1 intended for clothes 2 and other objects,which after activation are arranged to function as theft protection forthe object 2 in question by cooperation with an according to the artfunctioning alarm gate, comprising a hand scanner or some similarcontrol apparatus, of a woven label 3, in which an electronicallyworking alarm 4 is inserted.

The alarm 4 may be formed by a number of weft threads 5 which are woveninto the warp threads 6 of the woven label 3 for forming an alarmcircuit 7.

The alarm 4¹, may as is also shown in FIG. 3A be formed by a number ofwarp threads 6¹, which are arranged to form an alarm circuit.

A method for producing a woven label 3 which is intended to be attachedto clothes 2 or to other objects like e.g. bags, shoes, boots,tablecloths, rugs etc., and are arranged to after activation of includedalarm 4 function as theft protection for the object 2 in question bycooperation with an alarm gate, a hand scanner or some similarelectronic control apparatus comprising weaving in a number of threads5¹, 6¹, in the other threads 6¹, 5¹ of the formed label so that theyform an alarm circuit 7.

A number of weft threads 5 may be woven in into the warp threads 6 ofthe formed label 3 so that an alarm circuit 7 is formed by said woven inweft threads 5. For this, an as an alarm 4 forming weft thread 5 may bewoven in tightly packed at mutual distances from each other for therespective label 3 along a running label web 8 before being divided upinto separate labels 3.

A number of weft threads 5 are woven into the warp threads 6, of which anumber are arranged to form an alarm circuit 7 in the respective wovenlabel 3. For this purpose it is possible to weave in an alarm thread 5into the warp threads 6 by guiding the alarm weft thread 5 to 10 and fro11 by means of a swinging arm 9.

The use of such a woven label 3 with built in alarm 4 occurs in such away, that the label 3 in question is sewn or by some other mannerattached to the garment 2 or any other intended object before activationof it.

Thus, the original marking label 3 of the garment is used as alarm cableat the inside or outside of the garment etc. 2.

Thus, the invention makes it possible to insert an electronic alarm 4 inwoven label 3 by weaving in the alarm 4 in the weaving process which isthen activated, and which e.g. is deactivated by moving the garment etc.2, on which the label 3 is sewn into or onto, over a deactivation platelocated in the shop by the sales staff.

Thus, by weaving the alarm 4 into the label 3 it is achieved that it isconcealed where on the garment etc. 2 the alarm is located. A largesimplification in handling the alarm is that afterwards the garments 2does not have to be activated, but this takes place in the productionand in connection with that the label 3 is sewn into the garment 2,wherein a large simplification in handling in the store occurs when thealarm does not have to be removed at the cashier's desk.

The invention is not limited to the above described and in the drawingsshown embodiments but may be varied within the frame of the claimswithout departing from the inventive concept.

What is claimed is:
 1. Device (1) for clothes (2) and other objectswhich device after activation is arranged to function as protectionagainst theft of the object in question by cooperation with an alarmindicator gate, a hand scanner or control apparatus, characterized inthat a label (3) which is woven comprises an electronic alarm (4)inserted into the woven label (3), wherein the alarm (4) is formed bymeans of weft threads (5) that are woven into the warp threads (6) ofthe label (3) to form an alarm circuit (7), or that the alarm (4¹) isformed by means of a number of the warp threads (6¹) which are arrangedto form an alarm circuit.
 2. Method for producing a woven label (3)which device after activation is arranged to function as protectionagainst theft of the object in question by cooperation with a alarmindicator gate, a hand scanner or control apparatus according to claim1, characterized in that a number of threads (5, 6¹) are woven into theother threads (6, 5¹) of the formed label so that they form an alarmcircuit (7).
 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that anumber of weft threads (5) are woven into the warp threads (6) of theformed label (3) so that an alarm circuit (7) is formed by said woven inweft threads (5).
 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in thata weft thread (5) which forms an alarm (4) is woven in packed tightly atmutual distances from each other for the respective label (3) along alabel web (8) before being divided up into separate labels (3). 5.Method according to claim 2, characterized in that a number of weftthreads (5) are woven into the warp threads (6) of which a number arearranged to form an alarm circuit (7) in the respective woven label (3).6. Method according to claim 1 wherein, an alarm weft thread is woveninto the warp threads by guiding the alarm weft thread (5) by means of aswinging arm (9) to and fro across a label web (8).